The Iliad (Fagles translation) » (Translation by Robert Fagles)

Ancient Greek poet Homer established the gold standard for heroic quests and sweeping journeys with his pair of classic epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey.

Winner of the academy of American Poets 1991 Landon Translation Award, this masterful new verse translation of Homer's classic story of the Trojan War has been hailed by critics as "an astonishing performance" and "a remarkable tour de farce." Robert Fagles, chairman of the Department of Comparative Literature at Princeton University, brings the energy of contemporary language of this 2,700-year-old epic, while maintaining the drive and metric music of Homer's poetry, as well as the impact and nuance of Homer's mesmerizing repeated phrases.As a scholar, Fagles praises Homer's directness and simplicity, the breadth of his imagination, and the power of his song. As a translator, he brilliantly captures these very qualities — which makes this Iliad not only a superb literary work, but also a tremendous listening experience.

"Robert Fagles has given us an Iliad to read aloud: eloquent, rhythmical, and full of power." (Jasper Griffin, Oxford University)

"A remarkable tour de force... Better than any translator of our time, Fagles catches the relentless sweep of the original, the brutality of its battles, the passionate energy that explodes in gods, men, animals, even landscapes." (Maynard Mack, Yale University)